Beyond Bio 101: The Transformation 
of Undergraduate Biology Education.
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Biology Faculty Members- A Statistical Portrait

How many Ph.D.-level biology faculty members are there in the United States, and how can they be characterized? One way to find out is through the Survey of Doctorate Recipients conducted every two years by the National Research Council's Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel.

The most recent survey of doctorate holders in the United States for which data are available was in 1993. It estimated that there are 47,700 people with Ph.D.s in the biological sciences who are employed in four-year colleges and universities. They have the following characteristics, as expressed in percentages.

 

 

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Institution Type:

Gender:

Active in Research?

Age:

Salary:

Individuals with Ph.D.s in the biological sciences employed in the United States.

 

 

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching carried out a separate survey of faculty members from all types of institutions. The survey asked a nationally representative sample of faculty members a broad range of questions about their careers. Faculty members in biology departments who answered the questions gave the following responses. The percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding.

 

 

 

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Is your job a source of considerable personal strain?

If you had to do it over again, would you become an academic?

Does the pressure to publish reduce the quality of teaching at your institution?

Do your interests lie in teaching or in research?

Should teaching effectiveness be the primary criterion for promotion of faculty?

Is regular research activity expected in your academic position at your institution?

Do you frequently feel under pressure to do more research than you would like to do?

Is a strong record of successful research activity important in faculty evaluation at your institution?

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